Canabi Congress: SAF committed a massacre and ethnic cleansing against the residents of Canabi
The Canabi Congress, (a social and human rights entity), accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan Shield Forces, led by Abuagla Keikal -that fights alongside the Army- of committing a massacre against a community east of the Umm Al-Qura area in Al-Jazeera state, demanding an immediate investigation to hold those involved accountable and start a dialogue with the government to resolve the roots of the crisis.
The Canabi Congress shared in a statement addressed to the Sudanese people and the Army leadership, issued yesterday evening, that “On January 9th, a massacre took place in Kambo Khamsa and Kambo Taiba, east of Umm Al-Qura, which included burning two children alive inside homes, killing (6) other people, in addition to kidnapping (13) women and one man.”
The Congress also accused the forces of looting the residents’ property, stealing agricultural crops, livestock and personal property, as well as burning the entire Kambo, which in turn deprived the residents the safety of their homes, turning them -in a matter of moments- into homeless displaced persons, according to the statement.
Crimes Against Humanity and Ethnic Cleansing
The Canabi Congress stated, “The violations and criminal practices that the residents of Canabi and East of Umm Al-Qura areas have been subjected to are serious, amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, threatening the security and safety of Sudanese society.”
The statement added that what took place in Kambo Khamsa, Kambo Taiba, east of Umm Al-Qura locality in Al-Jazeera state, is an extension of a series of attacks that require urgent response in order to put an end to this humanitarian crisis.
The statement pointed out that the warnings previously issued by the Canabi Congress regarding the ongoing incitement against the residents of Canabi failed to receive the appropriate response, which led to a dangerous escalation represented by the recent attacks committed by the Sudan Shield Forces led by Keikal against unarmed civilians.
The Congress emphasized its position of neutrality towards the ongoing war in the country between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), out of their concern for the safety and security of the people of Canabi.
The statement explained that “Adopting this position stems from our desire to avoid the involvement of Canabi residents in armed conflicts that may expose them to further attacks, knowing that they have been subjected to violations since the dawn of Sudanese history.”
The Canabi Congress pointed out in its statement that the Sudanese Army committed violations and massacres against the people of Canabi, and added, “This position doesn’t translate into abandoning national issues, but rather reflects our commitment to protecting our society and ensuring that it isn’t exploited as fuel in this bloody conflict.”
The Congress further reiterated that the government’s duty and responsibilities are to ensure the overall security and peace as well as to protect all citizens in the areas of Canabi and East of Umm Al-Qura from repeated attacks.
The statement called for holding criminals accountable and bringing those involved to justice, including the Commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, Abuagla Keikal.
The Congress also called for an immediate, transparent and independent investigation into the recent violations as well as documenting them to ensure they aren’t repeated, in addition to putting an end to the efforts of incitement and taking strict measures against anyone who promotes hate speech and encourages targeting a specific segment of society.
The recent events East of Umm Al-Qura, Kambo Khamsa and Kambo Taiba represent a real test for the government in terms of its commitment to protecting its citizens and ensuring justice, according to the Canabi Congress statement.
As the Congress explained, “We hope that this statement will be met with serious and urgent response to end the suffering of our people, because history will judge everyone by what they have offered in times of hardship.”
Yesterday, the spokesperson for the Sudanese government stated that the authorities don’t punish citizens based on what he called “rumors and suspicions, or without fair trials”, indicating that all citizens who were forcibly residing in areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have full rights, similar to others in all parts of Sudan.
